A new statewide fund will push research into the elusive energy source that, if successful, could nearly provide power rivaling that of the sun. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed into law Assembly Bill 80 from Sens. Anna Caballero, D-Merced, and Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton, providing $100 million annually to labs...
Ex-NFL Star Herschel Walker Confirmed as First US Bahamas Ambassador in Nearly 15 Years
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed former NFL star and political candidate Herschel Walker to serve as the United States' next ambassador to the Bahamas, filling a position that has been vacant for nearly 15 years. Walker was one of more than 100 nominees confirmed in a single...
Trump Transportation Department Pulls Back Grants for Trails and Bike Lanes
The Trump administration is rescinding federal grants for recreational trails and bicycle projects awarded under the $1.1 trillion infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden, citing a focus on road capacity and opposition to projects “hostile to motor vehicles," AP reported. Letters sent to local governments in at least six...
Fresno Unified Allowed Registered Sex Offender to Coach at High School, Claim Alleges
Fresno Unified School District allowed a registered sex offender to become a volunteer sports coach and failed to investigate complaints made by student-athletes about the coach's inappropriate conduct while he was coaching at Fresno High School, according to a recent claim. The coach, Dusty William Lewis, was convicted of rape...
Madera County Supervisors Promote Development Chief to CAO
Madera County's new Chief Administrative Officer is Matthew Treber, who has had a big hand in spurring economic development there. The Board of Supervisors promoted Treber to CAO in a unanimous vote on Tuesday morning. He succeeds Jay Varney, who announced his retirement in August and left the position on...
Comedian Bobby Lee to Perform at Fresno’s Tower Theatre in January
Comedian, actor and podcaster Bobby Lee is bringing his stand-up tour to Fresno next year. Lee is scheduled to perform at the Tower Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, following a show at the Fox Theater in Bakersfield on Jan. 9, 2026. Tickets go on sale Friday at 12 p.m....
Guy Fieri’s Tequila Targeted in $1 Million Highway Heist
Thieves made off with 24,000 bottles of Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar’s Santo Tequila last November in what investigators say was a sophisticated, high-tech highway heist, 60 Minutes reports. The two semi-trucks, carrying more than $1 million worth of tequila from Texas to Pennsylvania, vanished after criminals used fake trucking...
Greta Thunberg Alleges Torture in Israeli Detention After Gaza Flotilla Arrest
STOCKHOLM — Swedish activist Greta Thunberg alleged on Tuesday that she and other detainees of the Gaza flotilla were subjected to torture in the Israeli prison they were held. Thunberg told a news conference in Stockholm that she and others were "kidnapped and tortured" by the Israeli military. She declined...
Tesla Debuts ‘Affordable’ Model Y and 3 That Strike Some as Too Expensive
Tesla rolled out "affordable" versions of its best-selling Model Y SUV and its Model 3 sedan, but the starting prices of $39,990 and $36,990 struck some as too high to attract a new class of buyers to the electric vehicle brand. Tesla's stock fell 4% and Tesla bull Dan Ives,...
One Dead After Head-On Crash on Highway 59 in Merced County
One person was killed early Tuesday morning in a head-on collision on Highway 59 south of Oakdale Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash was reported around 6:21 a.m. and initially believed to involve four vehicles, but officers determined it was a two-vehicle collision between a 2012 Ford...